More than computer-generated special effects, movie props can make or break a movie. In the case of period dramas or films with stories set in very specific, even if fictional universes, the more realistic the props, the more immersive the experience.
But that's not an argument you have to make with director Jeff Nichols or the leading men in his latest film, The Bikeriders, which opens wide on June 21. The Bikeriders hails back to the glorious days of bike clubs, at a time when society was changing – and the bike clubs with them.
Specifically, it focuses on the story of a Chicago club called The Vandals, which becomes a bike gang under the ruthless guidance of founding member Johnny (Tom Hardy). Austin Butler plays Benny, a young rider caught up in the club but maybe looking to extract himself from the businesses of the gang, in what could be described as a tale as old as time, torn between love and honor.
The Bikeriders also stars Norman Reedus and Michael Shannon, and is already earning rave reviews for the realistic portrayal of the biking culture of those times. Butler is adding a bit more realism by talking to the media about the challenges of riding a vintage Harley Davidson with drum brakes, and specifically about one nasty tumble he took on one.
Photo: Focus Features
The incident happened on a wet day of production as Butler navigated a road covered in dead leaves. It felt like he was riding on ice, he says in a recent interview, adding that it sent his bike fishtailing and eventually to the ground.
"I surfed the bike sideways for a while and then I jumped off, but I landed on my feet. I was okay!," he says, adding that all he could think about "was the bike, though."
His concern for the bike was understandable. As Focus Features has highlighted during the promo trail for the film, some 40 vintage motorcycles were used during the production, ranked by rideability and startability, but all chosen primarily for their authenticity.
Butler rode a pair of them, a 1965 and a 1966 Harley Davidson Electra Glide. He even shows off the one he crashed with in the video below, noting that it only had minor damage from the crash.
Meanwhile, Reedus got to ride a Frankenbike with a late '40s Springer front end, a 1950s frame, and a '70s motor. Reedus is perhaps one of the most passionate – and famous – celebrity bike riders in showbiz right now, which explains his giddiness in talking about anything to do with bikes. That includes the rubber ducky suicide clutch he had on his Frankenbike and how he was supposed to shift it without actually touching the ducky.
Jeff Milburn served as stunt-coordinator and stunt double during the entire production, and he confirms Butler's minor accident was just that. But it makes for a thrilling anecdote and it's bound to generate some press, which is exactly why Butler is talking about it.
The Bikeriders is being hailed as a possible Oscar contender, but also as a very thrilling and well-done biking film. Depending on where your interests fall (film geek or bike geek), you now have a good reason to catch it in theaters.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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